Cellular material for safety garments



S.DE FAVERI CELLULAR'MATERIAL FOR SAFETY GARMENTS July 7, 1931.

Filed Aug. 15, 1929 n DH? 0w M Tr, m Ne 0 W5 W Nm A JV Patented July 7,1931 smmrmo DE FAVERI, or MILAN, ITALY CELLULAR MATERIAL For; SAFE YGARMENTS Application filed August 15, 1929. Serial .The presentinvention relates to a material or fabric made of independent groups ofintercommunicating cells or pockets arranged in honeycomb manner for thepurpose of protection and safety.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the attached drawings,in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the materialinflated, whilst Figure 2 is a similar view of the same piece deflated.

As shown by the drawings, the said material is constituted by one ormore layers 1 of ordinary rubber material or special flex- F iblematerial united together by means 01' rubberizing or other suitablechemical process, and connected with other layers 2 united together inthe same way as the former with partition material 3 suitably arrangedto form the cells or pockets 4. The latter intercommunicate, and may ifdesired, be separated into groups by means of dividing partitions 5.

In each, or at least in some, of the said cells 4, is arranged a smallcushion 6 formed of buoyant material which preferably does not fill saidcells, but serves to keep the walls thereof from completely collapsingand thus preventing possible internal adhesion thereof, and alsoproviding a certain irreducible minimum of buoyant capacity to thematerial as a whole. This cushion may be fixed in any inner part of itscell or it may be movable, that is, completely free in the cell.

Each group communicates with an inflating tube 7 through which issupplied air or gas under pressure.

The air or gas entering into the cells produces an inflation of thematerial which in this'manner assumes a greater capacity for floating onwater and is able to sustain the person wearing it without other supportbeing necessary. The wearer of the material is therefore able to keepafloat.

With such a class of material, garments may be made for protection andsafety.

The material thus made protects from cold, water, noise, magneticattraction, and from deleterious actions and poisonous gases; it alsoprotects against sonorous vibrations by modulating them and beingclosely adherent No. 386,122, and Italy June 4, 1929. to the bodywearing it.

The material coloured with dark dyes may also protect against'theattacks of sharks.

On umping from various heights into the water, the person wearing thedress made with the material described, is only partially submerged andcan then arrange himself horizontally with the face turned upwards. Thisis due to the compensating action of the intercommunicatin cells of thematerial and it preserves the heat of the person C) to their specialarrangement.

In the case of one cell or groups of cells being torn, the water flowinginto this part cannot'in'vade the adjacent group of cells and owing tothe small cushions 6 the material preserves its floating properties evenin the event of the water reaching all the cells into which the articleis subdivided.

Owing to each group being provided with a tube for inflation by means ofair, a garment can be provided composed of various sections of materialeach of which isformed of a variable number of divisions. The severaltubes'provided for the inlet and retention of the air, or gas, may beprovided with retaining valves andpassembled together. by means ofcollecting tubes.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis .1. A material for use in the production of garments for protectionand safety, including thecombination, with a plurality of layers offlexible .material and partitions connected to said'layersso as to forma plurality of cells, of imperforate means dividing said cells betweenthe layers of said flexible material into distinct and inclependent'groups, and means providing compensatory inter-communication between theindividual cells within each group thereof.

2. A material for use in the production of garments for protection andsafety, including the combination, with a plurality of layers offlexible material and partitions, connected to said layers s0 as'to forma plurality of cells, of imperforate means dividing said cells betweenthe layers of said flexible material into distinct-andindependentgroups, means providing automatic compensatory in- I Anter-communication between the individual .cells within each groupthereof, and means for independently inflating each distinct group ofcells. V

3. A material for use in the production of garments for protection andsafety, includ ing the combination, with a plurality of layers offlexible material and partitions connected to said layers so asto form aplurality of cells, of 'imperforate means diyiding said cells betweenthe layers of material into distinct and independent groups, meansproviding 'aut'omatie coining the complete collapse of said cells andpossible consequent internal adhesion of the walls thereof, and also ofproviding said material as a whole with an irreducible minimum ofbuoyant capacity, a plurality of air supply tubes communicating with thevarious cell groups for the additional and individual i fiation thereof,and automatic air valve controlling the passage of air through each ofsaid tubes.

"SEE-AFINO DE FAVERI.

pensatory inter-communication between the internal adhesion of the Wallsalso of providing the material as a wholeindividual cells within eachgroup thereof,

and additional means for assuringthe operation of said material as awhole as'a safety device, including a plurality of bodies of buoyantmaterial individually arranged infa number of said cells in order toserve the double purpose of p'r'eventing the complete collapse offfsaidcells and possible consequent thereof, and

with an irreducible minimum of buoyant capacity inherent in each groupof cells.

4. A materlal for use in the p rodu'ction of 7 garments for protectionand safety, including the combination, with apluralityof lay-.

ers of 'fl'eixible material andpartitions connected to saidlayers so asto form aplurality of cells, of imperforate means dividing said cellsbetween the layers. of said flexible material into distinct andindependent groups, means providing compensatory inter c'ommunicationbetween the cells within each group thereof, and additional means forassuring the operation of said material as a whole as a safety'device,including a plurality of bodies of buoyant material and of relativelysmaller dimensions than said cells within a number of the same so as toonly a portion of the space in each, in order t'o serve the doublepurpose of preventing the complete c'ollapse'of said cells andpossiblecons'equent internal adhesionof the walls thereof and alsoofproviding said material as a wholewith an irreducible minimum of buoyantcapacity. i 7 5, A material for'use in the production of spaced garmentsfor protection and safety, including the combination, witha plurality oflayers of flexible material and partitions Iconneeted to said'layers so"as to form 'a'plurality ofcells,-of imperforate means-dividing saidcell's'b'etween the layersof saidsfle'xible Inat'eri'al into distinctand independent groups, means providing compensatory.inter-communication between the cells within each group thereof,auxiliary meansff'or assuring the operation'of a safety device, bodiesof buoyant material individually arranged within a number "of said cellsin order to serve the :doublepurpose of prevent said material as a wholeas 7 including a plurality of v

